The National tribune., 1887-02-17
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
SWINE.


Many pigs are killed by oyer-feeding. This
is the greatest fault of feeders who try to push
them on too fast. If cooking food pays for any
animals it will certainly pay for swine Sows
bred this month will have pigs in the best sea-
son of the year-at a time when five months
feeding should easily make them weigh $50
pounds each, and make the most profitable
pork. Young pigs need no more than one pound
of meal daily with two quarts of skinned milk.
1t is good plan to measure out food for them
and not give it al libitEDl.
A lot of pigs, with large yard attached to
the pen, may be made to furnish a ton of
manure month to each pig if sufficient ma
terial is given. We have found dry or half
dried swamp muck with the manure from the
horse stables the best materials for this pur-
pose. No better manure for use in hills or for
garden can be had than this. 1t is part of
the profit to be made from pigs to turn them
to account in this way. 1t is good time now
TO consider how a good clover pasture can be
provided for the pigs; or, if this cannot be
done, how a crop of roots or other green feed
may be grown for them. III no other provis-
ion can be made, field may be divided into
two or three lots by portable fences and the
land plowed and sOwn with rape; or one part
with rape, another with peas, and the other
with turnips. Each is fed off in turn, and as
one is fed down the Land may be sown again
with some other crop. 1t is quite evident that
some settled provision must be made for feed
ing pigs in a reasonably healthful manner to
escape the prevalent diseases to which they are
subject.
Paralysis Of the hind quarters is exceedingly
common and is the result of nervous disorder
seated in the spinal cord, from which the ner-
yous system of the digestive organs and lum-
bar muscles proceeds. Sometimes this origi-
mates from disorder Of the kidneys, by which
the blood is loaded with urea or its products,
and inflammation of the spinal nerve is pro-
duced. This is wholly due to wrong feeding,
and il is indispensable that the right and health
full methods of feeding should be studied and
practiced.
BRINE FOR SEASONING.
The best butter-makers in New England,
Ireland, and Jersey. as well as in this country,
says the Canadian Farmers AduOcdte are gradu-
ally dropping the practice of seasoning butter
with salt, aud are using brine in its place.
Those who are far enough along to appreciate
the difference between gathering butter in
lump and handling it in granules, are in a po-
sition TO adopt brine seasoning with case and a
decided benefit. All that is necessary for such
butter-maker to do is when his butter has
come, to wash in the usual way with water till
it has run off clear, and then immerse the
granules of butter in brine as strong as il can
be made, and let the butter lie in it the same
length of time he would to have the salt dis
solve il he had used dry salt, and then press
the butter into a solid form, avoiding any fric-
ton or grinding motion while reducing il to q
solid. In this way all working will be avoided,
and the butter left in the best possible condi-
ton for keeping, and have an even color and
the highest flavor it is possible for il 10 have
nwy axran efr hrsa H..
brine will draw the water out of the butter the
same as dry salt would.
COVERING FOR THE PLANTS
In covering for Winter such subjects as chrys-
anthemums, perennial phlox, lychnis and all
tea roses-those things that do not need to be
kept from freezing, but from alternate freezing
and thawiDg-there are few things superior to
ashes from anthracite coal. Cover in the shape
Of a mound over each plant; young plants of
tea roses may be bent down and covered in the
same way. For larger bushes there is nothing
better than pine or cedar bush. To be frank.
however, We just cover the ground OF the rose
beds, leaving the heads of the plants to get
killed by frost. About the latter part of March
prune severely all varieties of tea roses whether
the wood has been killed or not. We observe
here that all these roses are on their own roots,
and this treatment is TO make them throw up
an abundance of young wood.
NOTES.
Weighing cows milk will not cause her
to give any more, but may cause her owner to
substitute better one.
The creamery system is the most rational
and economical dairy process ever employed.
Ii is gaining in public favor every day.
III your object is TO raise poultry for the
eggs try the White Leghorn, says an admirer
of that breed.
Dry quarters are essential to the thrift of
young chickens. They cannot thrive if kept
on damp soil.
Lime is purifier and should be used
often as wash to coOps, perches and nest
boxes. Sprinkle the perches most frequented
by them with air slaked lime.
A correspondent of the Country Gentleman
who has good success with poultry, feeds wheat,
all they will eat, with scalded cornmeal when
they were small.
Gov. Rusk, of Wisconsin, says in his an
nual message, that the Agricultural Expert
ment Station of Wisconsin is of great value to
the State and that its bulletins are in greater
demand each year. We have long felt that for
the money spent upon il, the Wisconsin Sta
ton gives as good returns as any station in the
country.
Twelve hens well cared for will pay $25
profit in IL months. What pretty warm cloak
that would buy. Tell father TO give you 10
hens, and you will buy your own coat.
There Is no use OF chick or hen having
the gapes for "a hours A few drops of cam
phOr and water down the throat is a sure cure.
i never knew a second dose 10 fail, says a cor
respondent of the Poultry Keeper.
The following recipe for keeping moths
out of clothing is a fayorite in some families:
Mix half pint of alcohol, the same quantity
OF spirits OF turpentine and two ounces of cam
phor. Keep in a stone bottle, and shake before
using. The clothes or furs are to be wrapped
in linen, and crumpled up pieces of blotting
paper dipped in the liquid are to be placed in a
box with them, SO that il smells strong. This
requires renewing about once year.
Stock, rs a rule, are naturally clean and
will not lie down TO rest in q manure pile if
moro clearly and comfortable quarters are pro-
vided, and We all know that cleanliness is con-
ducive 10 health.
This Winter will be doubly severe on your
young horses unless you have them in first
class condition when they go into Winter quar-
tiers. Good care from now on will be well re-
paid before Spring.
- Cabbage, apples and potatoes must not be